Tire-chain tightener and lock



c. .F. AND A. I. JOHNSON. -HRE CHAIN TIGHTENER AND LOCK. APPLICATION FILED AUG-6| 1921.

1,407,753. Patented Feb.28, 1922 v V I 3M3 imam. EJ 55080 W UNITED STATES}. PATENT v CARL F. JOHNSON AND ANnnns IVER Jorr soN, or aBoLr, sou'rrrnaxorn.

TIRE-CHAIN TIGETENER AND LOCK. T 7

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 1922- 7 Application filed August 631921. Serial N cadaia.

This invention relates to chain; ,tighteners and more particularly to a combined chain tightener and lockv for tire chains.

An object, of .the invention is to provide a device of this character which may not only be used for drawing the ends of the chain toward eachother, but may also be used to connect the ends and hold the chain in the proper position on a tire. I

It is another object of the invention to provide a tightener of this character where,-

in a. pair of connecting hooks are provided and pivoted to a lever member in ofiset relation to each other to draw the ends of the chain toward each other. I

It is also an object of the inventionto provide a device of this character wherein the hook members are pivoted to a handle member substantiall in alignment with each other, and wherein said handle member is adapted to position said pivotal connection of the hook members on each side of the centerof-gravity of the portion of the handle to which the hook members are connected. r

. It is still a further object of the invention to provide a device of this character embodying a lever having a hook member pivoted on one side thereof, a hook member pivoted on the opposite" side thereof, the bills of said hooks being disposed at right angles to each other so to render the de-- vice as compact as possible when in use.

With these and other Ob ects in view, the invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of .parts to be hereinafter more particularly described'ffull'y claimed and "illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chain tightener and lock constructed in accordance with our invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device in its locked position, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the position of the parts when being applied to the chain.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates a tire to which a tire chain 6 is applied. v

The end link 7 of. the chain is provided withloops 8 which extend substantially at right angles to the link 7} and are of con ventional construction. The end link 9 of the opposite end ofthechainhas its loop I portions 10 extendin inthe same direction as the loop portions 8. I i

The parts of the .chain above described i are of well known construction and in order to permit a chain ofthistype to be readily applied andsecured toa tire, there is provided a. novel combined tightener and,

lock comprising a lever 11,*said lever being ofi'setf atits intermediate portion 12 sofas to permit the end portion 13 of the lever to clear the links adjacent the link 9 when the device is being locked, and also to permit the operator to manipulate the device without interference .fromthe, chain or tire.

The end portion 13 of the lever is alsoeX-,

tended in angular relation to the opposite end portion 14.

By offsetting the intermediate portion of the lever and inclining the end portion 13, the portion 15 of the lever, namely'that po'rtion of the device which extends from the' offset portion12 to the junction of the right angular portion of the lever, a V shaped portionlis provided for use inlocking the] ends of the chain, the function of which willlbe hereinafter described. j A connecting hook member 16 is provided, said member having an opening through which a pivot. pin "18 is passed for pivotally, connecting said hook member to f the extremity of the end portion l i ofthe lever. It will be noted that the hook member 16 tapers longitudinally from one end to the'opposite end 19 of said member. The end portion 19 is bent orextended to provide a hook 20, the bill of the hook 20 being disposed substantially obliquely of the shank or hook member 16. The book 20.

is also disposed atright angles to the open-] ing 17, so that the billof the hook extends substantially from one "edge of the hook 1 member to the opposite edge, and is likewise oflset with respect to the base of the bill.

In connection with the hook member 16, a second connecting hook member 21 is pro- V ingj ior disengagement of the, hook members I and? substantiallfyl; at fright angles? to the link"fi'and thatthe"link: 9i's disposed sub thejhook20*of themember 16fso as to move tionfithepivotal connections" of the hook ime'ms vided, said lioiikrinember being ipi'votedrat Idfromlith'e. chain, is, preventedsunless aoomnits end 22 to the junction of the aortionsplished.v manually.

14 and 1 5,..of, thei-levrer Thei opposite From the'foregoing it willberreadilyhseen end of themember' 21' is substantiallyb ent thatthis invention provides a novel'c omor coiled to provide a h0ok ;23, said hooka bined tinea-chamztightener and look capable being disposed substantially in the plane-otheing applied to a conventional make of of the sidenof the:member:i2 l; The bill; ofchain ,to lockthe chain Without thel use of the hook 23 is extended toward the hook separate locking means. An important fea' member 21 and terminates siibstantially in ture of this--devioe is that after the operatspacedrelation to the base of thehook to ing lever has been moved to its locked osiafford ainent'rance tothehook 2331B willtion, as disclosed in Figl'ire '1, the hoo 2097b be also noted that the hook;23"'is disposed substantiallyserves*asa stop tolimit cons at *i'ight angles "-toth'e' hook20,lj whilethe' tiniied movement ofthe-Eleverin the"sam(r;.; hooki'me'm'be'r.21iispivoted toftheopp'os'itej direction, so that the-t-onl-y' waygthaflthe sideof'the leven'll to that:occupiedfbyfchaincan-be released-is to'movethe lever the-" ho'okmember 1635' i p Kin theopposite direlction. Allofthese feat-r Bylthis novel arrangement, the "fact that tures" are possessed by a deviceEt-hat is Simsthei'lodps fi of ;the"'link 7' firoje'etoutwardly" ple'in construction and praetical in use. i

' VVhat is claimed-is p 1. A combined chain-tightener 'andfilookb stantially in the planehof theiflink' 'I git is -embodying'Pa leverya"member-pivoted to- 30 possible toproper y"conneotthe linksi and one end oi the"leverfsaidmember havin 9 withoiiveausing" bulging Jot parts from a hook on one end,-the hook being"-disposed the" side of the ti'rejvvhich'i are zaptfto come out of the path of movementOf-ESaidEIeVGr;

in gfcontact*vvithfstones or 1 "like objects in a second membe'ipivoted tosaid end ofthe the roadgWh en the fabo vef operation takes} lever in spaoedfrelation to the first menw'85 plaoejthefip'ivotal connections {of thehooknj'tionedmember; a hook-formed on-one end----* members l6 and 21 "are disposedksub stanof "thesecond' mentioned"memb'ei-f-thvbil tially ihverticalalignment; In other Words of each of said"hook-- members beingadis em the" end portion 14 isb'disposed vertically, v posed at right angles to eaeh 'otherythe hook whilethe 'hook"member s are disposedfin" of the second "mentioned "member -*=being'*'-9 0 oflsettf relation. To "lockthefildevicep the adapted to receive "a portion of --the-1ever to end" portion 13 of the lever ,is s'vvung' toward limit I movement-pf said -lever one direc'e 2. Atire chain tightenerrahd lookbom? bers from their vertical positions ftherebyf prisinga lever having'oneenddisposed sub swingingthe-pivotalconnection of thehook -.stanti'ally*at right-angles to themain por memberi 16bfe1ow the pivotal{conneetion' of tion of the'lev'er, an arm pivjotedat"one-end the"v hookjmembeii215iso as to dispose the Ito the leveradjacentsaid end :ofth'e 1m end portion 1 4; of thedever beyond the can-q said'arm having a-hook'forined 10h one'endg tBILQfigi -YLYltY. Inivie'w Qof the "fact thatthe" the hook being disposed in the, plane=of the billfofthe. IIOOICQC) is disposed 'siibstantially sides of the arm-and-parallel to' the" sides oblifqiielybf thejishankof the hook member of the leverwto'permitunobstructed;move- 16ft: socket isfoimedintowvhich the interr mentbf the' l'ever'flover-the *hook; a second? i mediate portion oflthe""leven"isadapted to arm pivoted to said end of the lever thef i extend; By this means, theibill of\thehook second mentioned armhavingahook formed 20 iis disposedsubstantially "in, alignment on one end, the hookyprojecting from"one"-"-- withfthellpiyoted' end =Eof the hook 'Inembeif" side "of the arm-substantiallyzat right angles 215st), that the devjice' is rendered eompact to the side of the '1ever,-the distance between and-ltherekaren'oprojectio11sbeyond the the" hi1l*of the last mentioned-hook:and;r.- tirefchain; a F uahermor, by disposing the the adjaoent'side of the""arm'*of said hook lio endgportion of thelever 14'to one side of being sufiicient- 'to permit'the entranceof 1" the 'center' oi gravity,iany p 'ill 'on the hook the lever into:said?h'ook wherebyi-saidiseos member 23Wi1l serve to move the fiend por- :"ond'nientioned hook providesfistop to limit tio'n l of the lever, snbstantially' fto a vermovement iof theleverin fonedirictionw" tical,. posi.tiona This movement "is rather v lntestimony whereof-we*hereunto aiIiiWIU diflicn'lt and'ia'sa matter of fact cannot be' our signature'sr accomplished accidentally? so; that unlock- -v JOHNSON? I a A. IVERiJOHNSONi 

